You got an eviction notice. Here’s the next week.
A notice is frightening, but it doesn’t mean you have to leave. Here’s what it means and what to do first.
Most evictions start with a piece of paper on the door or in the mail. It might be called a notice to quit, a notice to vacate or a ten-day notice. Whatever it’s called, it is a warning from your landlord, not an order from a court.
What the notice can’t do
A notice alone can’t make you leave. Only a court can, after a hearing, and only an officer of the court can carry out the order. Until then, your landlord can’t change the locks, take your things or shut off the heat or water to push you out.
What to do this week
- Keep the notice and photograph it, front and back
- Write down the date and how you got it
- Gather your lease, rent receipts and any texts with your landlord
- Take photos of anything in the home that needs repair
- Call us, or walk in on Tuesday or Thursday morning
The date you can’t miss
If your landlord files in court, you’ll get papers with a hearing date. Go to that hearing. Tenants who don’t appear almost always lose by default, even when they had a good defense.
The tenants we can help most are the ones who call the day the notice comes, not the day before the hearing.
This guide is general information, not advice for your situation. Every case turns on its own facts, so talk to a lawyer about yours.